Emetophobia (phobia of throwing up)

[Jessl]

Just wondering if anyone else here has emetophobia. I have suffered severly with it for 6 years. I have tried many medications and therepies. Anyone else experiancing this? Any recomended meds or therepies?

[swfl_guy]

I have this but never knew there was a name for it. I feel like if I throw up then something really bad is wrong with me and I'm going to die. Lucky for me I have only thrown up once in my life that I can remember. I do not know about meds but I'm sure some therapy would really help. throwing is normal and just tell yourself you are fine if you get sick and relax you will be fine.

[396SS]

Wow, I must have had every anxiety issue on this board.  Yeah, I was afraid of it for a couple years, then I threw up and it definitely is not fun in the moment, but I realized I wasn't going to die.  I HATE throwing up, don't get me wrong, but I have done it a few times since then and I haven't died yet!  It is normal, in fact, if you get a stomach virus/food poisoning and don't throw up, that is abnormal because it's your body's way of getting rid of toxins.  Honestly, I had a stomach virus (BAD) the first week of February and I felt the same way, "oh man, I am throwing up so hard I'm going to die."  But I just kept telling myself after that thought that "no, you won't die - it's normal, it sucks, but it's normal and I'm just going to open my mouth and let it come."  Yuck.  It is not pleasant, but I have just done it so much since my phobia of it, that I am over it.  It just became commonplace I guess because I had some stomach problems and a couple viruses so I had no choice.  If you get sick, just remember, everyone does it and just open your mouth and let it go!  It WILL be over in a second and you'll live:)

Take care!  

[holliexox]

Heyy no i dont have a fear of that but i can def relate to you. i always worry about brain tumors or other health issues. so i know what your going threw. dont worry your not alone!

[shooie]

Oh - that is one of my WORST fears!!  My poor daughter threw up for the first time last month at 11 years old and I was a WRECK.  I was sure I was next - I didn't eat for 3 days.  I HATE this fear with a passion.  Let me know if you find a way to deal with it.  I would love to let it go.

[debaser23]

YES.  I have a big fear of that.  I get sick to my stomach (atypical panic attacks, they say) and all I can fixate on is not throwing up.  It's more than just hating the thought of it...it's an overwhelming, petrifying fear.  And it only causes me to feel sicker because I worry about it so much.

And I don't know why I worry.  Here's my "vomit log" haha:

1. 10/06 - dry heaves.  sick from lexapro?  I think I was just nauseated but got so worked up I ended up in the floor.  It lasted less than an hour.

2. 01/01/05 - A real bad night.  Had gallbladder problems but didn't know what it was at the time.  Had eaten a lot that day and was throwing up for hours.

3. 06/15/04 - Happened while driving 70 mph through a construction zone on the freeway.  No way off.  I thought it was food poisoning at the time but it could've been the gallbladder.

4. ????? - Probably due to being drunk in college...mid to late 1990's



I bring all that up to illustrate that it's an irrational fear.  As you can see, I've only vomited once in 2 years (I don't know whether or not to count the lexapro incident), and only a couple times during the past DECADE.  The likely cause of both incidences was removed surgically and yet I STILL fear it like the wrath of God.  But once you get into the actual vomiting, it's not anywhere near as bad as the leading up to it.  It's something that, once it happens, you resign yourself to pretty quickly.  

[Jessl]

Yeah, thats exactly what is like. I have only thrown up maybe 4 times in my life that I can remember and im almost 20. One was hardly anything as it was caused by taking codine and I had a stomach ulser at the time, so it was nothing really. Once its over, you feel heaps better and think "that wasn't so bad." But none of that seems to really matter, the fear still rules my life. Making me basically agoraphobic.

I was interested to know if anyone else here had it. I didn't realise how common it was till I looked it up on the net and found that it is one of the top ten fears and even has a name! It was a relief not to feel alone.

[cho*]

I started having anxiey when I was in 2nd grade only it was of going to school. I think it was from my parents divorcing when I was 5. At about 9 years old it became of throwing up. truly i am only 13 right now but I have it really bad. I take 200 mg. of zoloft every day and when I have anxiety attacks I take a xanax. Even when my stomach hurts I get scared that I will throw up and it usually evolves to having an anxiety attack. I never new there was a name for it and I just starting having a little anxiety a while ago so I came to see if there was anything to read online that might help me. I am terrified of throwing up and even though I know it won't kill me I am still scared. I have usually 2-5 anxiety attacks a week. I go to a therapist but she doesn't do anything for me. My doctor says I will outgrow it when I am older and I hope that is true. Two of my really close friends are scared of throwing up but not nearly as bad as me. Even after I throw up I say "That wasn't so bad" but right when I start feeling bad I freak out again. I don't know what to do about it so if anyone (that isn't a child malester ) has any suggestions e-mail me at   ****@*****

[WadesLola]

oh yes, i recognize it... i was blessed with 13 phobias about 7 years ago and i worked through 11 by myself but that one really doesnt leave easily. i also have only thrown up twice since i was 11 (and im 29 now) so its a real irrational fear. the worst part about it must be the fact that most people that i know who have it all know that its irrational, now if it was a 'rational' fear, like if it happened a lot so to speak, then it would be easier to handle i think...

[tck<33]

For the past two months i have been getting really sick. i especially get sick when i am in big crowds. i feel a lump in my throat and feel like i am bout 2 get really sick and puke!!! but i am so terrified that  i am going to throw up cause i hate it so much.. it is getting really bad right now. i even noticing that when i go somewhere i will look to see a good place to go run to puke where no one will see.. one of the reasons i think i do this is cause last spring me and my mother where walking around in the mall when i felt very sick so i headed for a bathroom but unfortunatley i didn't make it i throw up about 3 to 4 times on the way to the bathroom and i was totally embarassed bout the whole thing and the fact i hate throwing up period!!! and now i am still feeling really sick but never throwing up it is to the point i will be setting at home alone and feel sick like i am going to puke and i am terrified of puking...it is now starting to interfear with my schoolwork and everyday activites i am so sick and tired of putting up with it and i think it is all in my head but i am still cant get it out... please tell me what  u think i shoud do and if i have this phobia...
thanks
tayler!!!

[AmandaBelle]

I know exactly how you feel.  I have been this way for most of my life.  The thought that there is a stomache flu going around, almost house ridens me.  A friend of mine passed away when I was in grade 6, she went to throw up and stucked in back into her lungs, which caused her to drowned.  I know that its a 1 out of a 10000000000 chance that it would ever happen to me. But the odds are still there.  Having this fear has actually brought on more than I have ever excepted.  I now have  problems going to crowded place, being someplace that I dont feel comfortable, anorexia, and severe and consistant panic attacks.  I have gone to doctors and they want me to go on a million different pills, which i dont feel comfortable taking.  So I try to deal with it on my own.  I hide alot of how I feel which bothers some ppl in my life because they truely honestly dont understand why i feel this way.  So it is easier for me to keep it in, and not let it affect anyones life around me.  But it is deblitating.  I understand exactly how you feel!!  

Thanks
Amanda

[burnsc05]

I have had anxiety since i was 5.  I was scared of death, throwing up, diseases, or just felt anxious for no reason.  The biggest fear I had in high school was the fear that i was having a heart attack due to the heart palpitations i was having from the panic attacks.  Anxiety is extremely hard to deal with because half the time you feel like you are going crazy or that you are psycho... and you don't want to tell anyone about it because you don't want them to think you're psycho.  I'm a junior in college now and my only fear now is throwing up in public.  I hate eating at restaurant with anyone but my family because i'm scared that I will puke at the table or where everyone will see me.  It is the most irrational fear but i'm still petrified and feel anxious whenever I think about it.  I have had a boyfriend now for 8 months, and I don't want to tell him about my phobia in fear that he will think that i'm psycho... I know that if for some reason I did throw up when we're out to eat or in public or anywhere in public that he would be more concerned that I was ok  as opposed to thinking i'm crazy... but the fear still lingers in my mind constantly.... I dont know how to get rid of this phobia.... I'm also just feelin anxious all the time for no reason... like i'm going to lose control or something which is affecting my grades and normal day activities... i just want to feel normal

[piety]

Hi all of you pukers!!!        I just had to say that...    No, really, you just HAVE to laugh at some things. Just want to let you know it could be worse.  My problem is that I am a pooper!  I have a fear that I will have to poop and there won't be anywhere to go.  I know, it's stupid ( and quite funny ).  What has helped me is to put a porta potty in my car, so anywhere I go, if I have to go, I feel reassured that I have a place to poop!  So, maybe you guys can carry around a bag, so if you feel like you have to puke, you will have a place to puke.  I think what it really boils down to is that we don't want to be embarassed in public and feel less than "normal".  But what is normal anyway?  Do you know anyone who is really normal? And even if everyone in the whole world WAS normal, and you are the only abnormal one, wouldn't you expect the people who really care about you, the ones you call friends, to overlook and not care if you threw up every now and then?  I try to just stop caring about what strangers think about me and just accept myself just as I am, with all of my "abnormalities".  Hope this helps!

[caybaby]

I know I would rather be stabbed than to throw up. I too, didn't know anyone else felt this way. And since I have read the article about the kid dying from the throw up going in the lungs I think I feela panic attack coming on, thinking about that might happen to me the next time I have to throw up. Yes, I'm a hypochondriac with GA, and panic attack with agoraphobia. Maybe I don't need to read about these experiences, cause I think there happening to me!!

[surnamex]

i'm a 21/f and i've self-diagnosed myself as being emetophobia. i am currently suffering though depression